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gatented Oct. 9, 1888.

(No Model.)

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iINrTnn STATns PATENT intent LOUIS BLOCK, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 390,836, dated October9, 1888.

Application filed March 17, I887.

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, LoUIs BLOCK, of the city, county, and State ofNewYork, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Apparatus forCompressing Gas, &c., when oil or water, &c., are mingled in the cornpressor with the gas, air, &c., of which the following is aspecification.

The improvements relate to means for ejecting surplus oil, water, &c.,from compressors, and for cooling said oil, water, &c., prior to theirreturn to the compressors.

I prefer to use in my apparatus gaseous ammonia and oil derived frompetroleum, and will henceforth speak of such gas and such oil, althoughI intend to use the apparatus for compressing common air or any gas, andto supply the compressor with water, glycerine, oils, or other suitableliquids which will fill the clearances and to a greater or less extentlubricate the parts and liquid-seal the valves and packings.

It has been known for many years that clearances in gascompressors maybefilled with oil,so that the piston,although it does not touch thecylinder-heads at the ends of its strokes, will discharge all thecompressed gas. In order to perform this duty effectively, oil must besupplied to the cylinder at each end thereof (if doubleacting) at sometime after the piston leaves one cylinder-head and before it returnsagain to that same cylinder-head, and the quantity ofoil in the cylinderis a little in excess of that absolutely necessary to fill theclearances; consequently oil is expelled at each stroke. If the pistonshould strike such oil in excess after the delivery-valves are shut, orafter the piston has passed and closed the delivery-ports, thuspreventing the escape of oil, either the piston or the cylinder headwould give way if the engine and momentum of the fly-wheel were forcibleenough to keep the piston moving, and they usually are sufficientlyforcible to produce this effect.

The first part of my invention is designed to obviate this ditlicultyand is peculiarily applicable to the lower ends of vertical doubleactingcompressors, although it may be usefully employed in connection with theends of horizontal compressors, either single or double acting, or tothe lower ends of vertical single- Serial No. 231,252. (No model.)

acting compressors which compress gas on the downstroke thereof.

The drawings show at Figure 1 an elevation of certain parts of arefrigerating apparatus, the steam -engine which actuates the compressorat X, the compressor at H, the condenser at WV, and the oil-cooler at I.Fig. 2 is partly in elevation and partly in section on a larger scale,and represents the oil-cooler and the passages for oil and gas. Fig. 3is also on a larger scale than Fig. 1, and is a section through thedouble acting vertical compressor and some of its connections andvalves.

This compressor may have any properkind of discharge valve or valves atits upper end such as the large valve G-and is provided with at leasttwo induction-valves-one at each end-A and B,of any usual variety. Thelarge discharge-valve lies on a seat at the lower end of a head or dome,and from this dome leads the discharge-pipe E H. This pipe extends tothe lower'end of the compressor and has openingintoit the two lowerdischarge-valves, D D. There must be at least two of these valves withtheir ports one above the other; but there may be several of themin rowswith the ports of one row leading into the cylinder above those of theother row. The ports of these delivery-valves where they enter thecylinder may be provided with inclined ribs flush with the interior orbore of the cylinder, so as to prevent injury to the packing-ring whenit travels over the ports. From the dis charge-pipe a branch, H leads tocarry off the oil and compressed gas.

So far all parts except the duplication of the exhaust-valves at thelower end of the compressor may be, and are in fact, as usual indouble-acting pumps.

The piston is composed of two parts with a space or chamber betweenthem. These two parts may be affixed to the piston-rod and held apart,so as to leave a space between them, in any proper way, and each partmust be provided with ordinary packing or packingrings. This chamber isopen to the inner walls of the cylinder. In the lower part ofthe pistonthere are one or more valve-seats,each provided with a valve, such as M,opening upward and preferably provided with a light spring tending toseat it quickly. These valves, when lifted or opened, connect the spacebelow the piston as a whole with the chamber between the two parts ofthe piston.

The valve D is located slightly above the lower head of the compressor.The lowest part of its port is also above this head. The thickness ofthe lower part of the piston is so proportioned to the distance betweenthe two ports of the valves l) and D that the upper port is uncovered bythis part ofthe piston in itsdescent before the lower port is closed byit. The part of the compressor-cylinder be low the lower exhaust-valveport is in the operation of the machine filled with oil. The upward bendof the inductiorrpipe prevents this oil flowing out on the upstroke ofthe piston. Vhen the piston in its descent has compressed the gas in thecylinder to such extent that the exhaust-valves open, compressed gasflows out through both valves. \Vhen the lower part of the piston closesthe port of the upper valve, gas goes out of the lower valve. 'When thelower part of the piston, in its continned descent, uncovers the portofthe upper valve, gas, and probably some oil, may pass out through bothvalves. \Vhen the lower part of the piston closes or partly closes theport of thelower valve and strikes the oil,then oil and gas,or oilalone, lift the valve or valves in the piston, flow into the space orchamber between the two parts of the piston, and thence into thedischargepipe through the upper exhaust-valve, D, the port of which isthen un covered by the lower part of the piston before that lower partcloses or covers the port of the lower exhaust-valve. The upper part ofthe piston is located so far above the lower part that it will not coverthe upper exhaust port until the piston has completed its downstroke, orit may not coverit even then. It will thus appear that when the pistonstrikes against the oil there will always be an outlet open for excessof oil to flow out of the pump; conse quently all danger of knocking outthe head is obviated, and, further, the construction is such that oilwill always remain below the piston, filling the clearance-space.

Oil must in a donbleacting pump be constantly or at some time duringeach stroke supplied to each end of the cylinder. This oil (in the pumpshown in the drawings) enters through the holes h h", and may besupplied by any usual means at any usual or proper time. The easiest wayis to supply it from a reservoir under pressure through a cock ormeasuring apparatus.

The second part of my invention consists in a new method of cooling theoil discharged from the compressor and before it is returned thereto.

The mingled oil and gas are delivered from the exhaust-pipe into thevessel I. The oil is hot. The oil and compressed gas separate in thisvessel mechanically. The oil drops to the bottom. The gas rises to thetop and passes out through the pipe 1* to the condenser.

This gas is cooled in the condenser and liquefies. This liquid is thenadmitted to the expansion-coils. There it expands again into gas andabsorbs heat, refrigerates air, brine, &c. This gas does not usuallyabsorb all the heat it is capable of absorbing in the expansion-coils. 1take advantage of this fact, and instead of leading the expanded gasdirectly to the compressor to be reeompressed, as usual, force it orpart of it to pass through pipes or tubes inclosed in theseparating-tank. These tubes are shown at z 'i i. The pipe P the pipewhich conducts the gas from the expalr sion-coils, and the whole or partof this gas can pass through the valve J, thence up through the tubest'i t, thence through the valve J" into the pipe I and thence to theinduction-valves of the pump; or by closing or partly closing the valvesJ J", or either of them, and opening the valve J the whole or a part ofthe expanded gas may be passed through the pipe J into pipe P, andthence to the pump or compressor. This expanded gas passing in pipesthrough the oil robs it of its heat, cools the oil, and the amount ordegree of cooling can be regulated to a certain extent by passing agreater or less proportion of the whole amount of gas through the pipes23 t i, as before described.

Any kind of tank may be used that willserve as a separator for oil andgas, and the expanded gas might flow in a jacket around the oil in steadof through the oil in pipes. Such a jacketed vessel is common in otherbranches of the arts and needs no special description or drawing.

I have shown a coil through which the oil may be carried and exposed tocold water in addition to its exposure to the cold gas in the pipes i;but this is not essential.

All who have made a study of processes for refrigeration agree that theoil should be cooled after leaving and before it is returned to thecompressor. It can be cooled to a low temperature by my method, andexpenditure of water for cooling purposes is at the same time avoided.

I claim as my invention-- l. A piston with a close-topped chambertherein provided with valves opening into the chamber, so that oil,850., when struck by the piston can lift the valves and enter thechamber and be prevented from returning, the construction beingsubstantially such as described.

2. A. piston with aspace or chamber therein and a valve or valvesopening into such chamher, in combination with an exhaust port and valveso located, substantially as described,

that oil or gas passing through the piston valve or valves into thechamber may be discharged through such exhaust port and valve, theconstruction of the whole being substantially such as herein described.

3. In combination, first, a piston with a chamber therein; second,valves in the piston opening into said chamber; third, an upper exhand,at New York city, this 16th day of March,

haust port and valve communicating with said I 1887, in the presence oftwo subscribing witchamber. and, fourth, a lower exhaust port andnesses. valve, all these parts being constructed, ar- LOUIS BLOCK. 5ranged, and operating substantially as de- Witnesses:

CHARLES R. SEARLE, A. J OHNSTONE.

scribed.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my

